This is always a hot button topic. But since this is one topic that involves background checks, I follow it with interest. Meanwhile, I realize it brings out vehement responses from both the gun rights people and the anti-gun or firearms control people.

In this case it is law enforcement requesting from Congress that they mandate background checks for those wishing to purchase firearms. The background checks would reveal if someone is legally eligible to buy a gun or has the type of criminal records that would prohibit their purchase.

One article about law enforcement asking Congress for background checks was in the Huffington Post. The Huffington Post is the online news and opinion site that most liberals love and most conservatives love to hate. I would say I love reading all the comments to the articles, but usually I am busy and, after seeing but a few, they all seem to run together in the same-same diatribes. But I digress. The actual article also appeared in the Washington Post.

The proposed law, H.R. 2324 would require all gun buyers to undergo a criminal background check before purchasing a firearm at a gun show. Federal law already requires all federally licensed firearms dealers to conduct a computerized background check on prospective buyers before selling a gun. Under existing federal law, and in many states, however, private sales between non-dealers do not require background checks, including transactions at gun shows. (State and federal laws only prohibit selling to known felons.)

The law comes in the aftermath of several mayors asking for tighter background checks on gun buyers at gun shows. Mayor Michael Bloomberg had conduct an undercover campaign where private investigators, using clandestine cameras, shows how those at gun shows could buy firearms without submitting to a background check. In some cases, the would be gun buyer was told by the vendor who could buy the gun, even without proper ID. I have written about this on several occasions. One such article is entitled, Bloomberg and Company Pushing for Gun Show Background Checks. There was another article where church groups are also urging for background checks for gun sales. This article was entitled, Church Groups are Pushing for Gun Show Background Checks.

I realize this is a controversial subject and that there are definitely at least five sides to this story. And this is a story that will not be disappearing anytime soon. I will continue to follow the news and the attempts at legislation. To be continued.

You don’t think of Canada as the place for domestic violence. I realize there are generalities and with every generality there are exceptions, but most American tend to think of Canadians as a more mild mannered neighbors to the North.

But according to an article in the Seaway News, the Canadian government recently amended the Occupational Health and Safety Act Definitions. Among the various forms of workplace violence addressed in Bill 168, was domestic violence in the workplace. Employers were urged to take it seriously. There are studies to support this concern. In one of those studies have been found that 74% of employed battered women were harassed by their partner while they were at work. I must say, as the statistics indicate, we at Corra Group will hear this from time to time. In a 1997 national survey, 24% of women between the ages of 18 and 65 claimed intimate partner abusive violence was responsible for them to arrive late or miss work altogether.

What is the cost to the employer? The annual cost of lost productivity due to intimate partner violence is estimated as $727.8 million, with over 7.9 million paid workdays lost, annually. there are other factors to consider. An injured or psychologically damaged worker will never feel as secure in the workplace. The fact that their working environment may be porous enough to leave them susceptible to abuse from their significant other is enough to make anyone have the jitters. This sensibility induces low self-esteem, exacerbated issues of fear and concern for each time they venture into the parking lot, go for lunch, or even pick up the phone.

It is incumbent upon the employer to do its best to keep its employees safe and secure from any form of harm. With the economic downturn and with people depressed and frustrated, domestic violence and violence in the office place has only increased. It is necessary to protect employees from workplace hazards to office harassment to domestic abuse and violence. It is in the employer’s best interests to do so. Let’s face it, secure and generally happier employees are more productive. The employer has less concern for liability issues and for embarrassing news headlines, to say nothing that an employee was physically harmed on the job.

Background checks go a long way to prevent violence in the workplace. For employment candidates, background checks will help weed out violent offenders, sex offenders and those who may have been deemed through county civil court records or though reference verifications to have issues with the opposite sex. County Criminal Records and County Civil Court Records background checks will show if your employment candidate has restraining orders posted against their ex’s or significant others. These background checks are nominal in cost, especially when measured against potential liability costs and loss in productivity. To say nothing of potential injury and worse.

It should be no secret to anyone that every state is suffering from budget constraints due largely to the economic downturn. A rotten economy and increased debt and subsequent expenses has forced most states to increase services fees on just about everything. The Motor Vehicle Driving Records or MVR is no exception. The Department of Motor Vehicles have largely raised prices from nominal amounts to doubling and even tripling the MVR Fees.

This can be tough on the trucking transportation companies that require MVR background checks to meet the Department of Transportation or DOT compliance standards on all the company drivers. But nevertheless the price of business is…well…the price of business.

With this in mind, Corra Group wants to make you aware that as of August 1st, 2010, the West Virginia DMV will be raising the prices on driving records from $8.00 per abstract to $9.00. Not too bad.

Also, Corra Group would like to remind our clients that the Oklahoma Department of Motor Vehicles, as of July 1st, 2010, has raised is MVR Driving Reports from $12.50 to $27.50 per record. There’s an increase for you. Some Corra Group clients are still getting over the sticker shock on this particular background check. But life goes on.

Few things are more damaging to a business than the recognition that your employees are stealing from your customers. This is not only an embarrassing situation, but the fact that your customers may be putting their sensitive data in what amounts to the hands of thieves will almost certainly cause them to shy away. In this economy, especially, no customer needs to be chasing around, cleaning up a mess because someone stole their credit card information. It’s tough enough to make a living, yet alone to waste time and incur losses for no other reason than you trusted the wrong party.

In Washington, D.C. , Federal authorities are investigating three servers at a Cheesecake Factory who allegedly stole customer credit card identification. According to the article in the Washington Post, Secret Services investigators believe the food services were part of a larger fraud ring. The servers allegedly used electronic devices to glean the credit card numbers. the credit card numbers were later used to make up bogus credit cards that were given to ring member for various shopping sprees. In all, the scam artists rang up an approximate $120 thousand dollar bill in an approximate one year period.

Background checks may not be the total solution to preventing employees from stealing your customer’s sensitive information, or, for that matter, your money and proprietary data. but background checks are cost effect and do go along way to red flag the job applicants who may be susceptible to cash and data theft. Reference verifications should be included with criminal records checks in order to fill out a viable pre-employment screening program. Simply put, the more background checks you conduct, the better picture you will have.